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Listener 4497: 'catechism' By Tnap
15 Answers
The clue-solving was tough work in places and I spent an age somewhat baffled ... but a nice couple of PDMs brought it all to an enjoyable conclusion. Thanks tnap :-)
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Phew! That was one heck of a struggle, which didn't get any easier despite guessing the basis of the theme quite early on. I still haven't the faintest idea how the wordplay works for 15 across. Nice not to have a fiddly endgame but I found this rather too much on the frustrating side of tough - which of course reflects my incompetence as a solver rather than any fault of the setter!
This was battle right to the last entry. Like Philoctetes, I don't really understand what's going on with the eight entries suffering thematic effects. The others make sense. For a long time I didn't have the faintest inkling of the theme, but I was fortunate that guesses at corrections to two clues in the early batch enabled me to see a possible first word, since after that I had very few continuous strings of letters. I had one error but Google's auto-correct gave me the right word and the whole quotation. Even then, solving the remaining clues was no easy stroll.
Some of the misprints were very clever, and very hard to spot.
Until now I'd considered Elgin's puzzle to be the toughest of the year so far (ignoring the numerical). This was one rung higher up the ladder for me.
Some of the misprints were very clever, and very hard to spot.
Until now I'd considered Elgin's puzzle to be the toughest of the year so far (ignoring the numerical). This was one rung higher up the ladder for me.
I think I may have to give this one up, with around three-quarters of the grid filled. As Scorpius says, the treatment of the four is easily justified (once you've solved the clues or otherwise guessed what the answers must be), but for those of the others I've worked out, the rationale for what I've done eludes me.
The quotation, in ODQ but not in ODQ, would never have come to me if my education had followed a different path, but it still ain't helping. Not Angry, mind you, as this is (probably) an entirely fair puzle.
The quotation, in ODQ but not in ODQ, would never have come to me if my education had followed a different path, but it still ain't helping. Not Angry, mind you, as this is (probably) an entirely fair puzle.
All done now; my, that was TOUGH.
Some extremely difficult clues which make Sabre's clues seem a breeze!
It all came together very neatly but I, too, couldn't understand the rationale behind the treatment of the eight answers (the other four 'specials' were clear enough). I suspect it is due to me not possessing the specialized knowledge which may be needed to fully appreciate the thematic treatment. I certainly don't remember such in my degree days -- but that was a long time ago!
Well done to tnap on making it such a tough puzzle.
I can breathe a sigh of relief now...
Some extremely difficult clues which make Sabre's clues seem a breeze!
It all came together very neatly but I, too, couldn't understand the rationale behind the treatment of the eight answers (the other four 'specials' were clear enough). I suspect it is due to me not possessing the specialized knowledge which may be needed to fully appreciate the thematic treatment. I certainly don't remember such in my degree days -- but that was a long time ago!
Well done to tnap on making it such a tough puzzle.
I can breathe a sigh of relief now...
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